From blushing at the mention of shoes to speaking to rooms of hundreds of people.

Hi, I'm Alex MacLellan.

I've always been bad with writing 'About Me' pages. Also, being honest I really don't like long form, constant scrolling About Me pages. So I've made a video instead which will hopefully give you a good idea of who I am and what I'm about.

But in case you don't want to watch the video I thought I'd give you a brief idea of who I am, where I came from and how I got to where I am now.

Below is a picture of me at school. The words 'shy' and 'anxious' are very apt. I was also quite a 'mummy's boy'. My mother was my real sense of security in the world I suppose. I had friends, great friends who I still have to this day, but I was almost invisible to everyone else at school.

Anyway, off I went to university with the decision to remake myself as a more confident guy. And I did I guess. I made some more great friends, but then something happened. Something nobody outside of my family knew about for years. My mother became ill. She started showing signs of dementia. We didn't really want to accept what was happening, and I probably lost the last couple of years that I could have made count with my mum.

This did not sit well with me. All my newfound confidence was shattered and I started going down quite a dark path. I royally screwed up my Chemistry degree, got a job in advertising sales and started living a pretty pathetic life. Once away from university I started drinking way too much, often alone and in the dark. I knew I was letting everyone who cared about me down.

What Changed?

Long story short I couldn't carry on like I was, so I had to take responsibility for myself. And thats what I did. I cleaned myself up, looked long and hard at why things were so bad and affecting me so much. I spent hundreds of hours trying to figure out how to not be anxious without a drink, and how to be emotionally stable enough to be a support to my family when they needed me.

I got help from a therapist and turned my life around. I was useful again. I started performing better at work, I started socialising with ease and, most importantly, I could be there and support my family when they needed me.

Eventually, I realised I hated sales. I didn't have the stomach for it any more. So I trained in the type of therapy that was the kickstarter for me, Integral Eye Movement Therapy, and put together everything I had learned over years of suffering and hundreds of hours of research and started working with people who were a bit like me.

Shy. Socially anxious. Stressed. Having a bit of a hard time and just in need of someone to say: "Come on, get it together, you can get over this, I believe you can and am going to help you, even if I have to drag you over the line myself."

What I Do Now

If you have watched my video, or read all of this, then I think you are ready for a bit of help. I'll give you more than that. I'll support you, give you all the knowledge and tools you need to succeed (and show you the research supporting them as well) and, very importantly, give you a kick in the rear when you need it. I see too many coaches out there more concerned with a client 'feeling' good so they can keep them on their books for the long term than actually helping the person.

That's not the way I want to do things.

I only work with people for short periods of time and my focus is on getting you doing things faster than you may have thought possible. I often say I do this because I'm trying to go back in time and help myself, either as that shy kid at school or as the very lost and scared young man.

If you have read this far, then you are ready to take the steps need to overcome your shyness or social anxiety. You are ready to reduce your stress, build emotional resilience and develop self-confidence the right way.

You have three options now. Click off of this site and forget all about it. Get a free eBook and audio guide to get more of a tase about me. Or if you are really ready to take that first step, the step which changes everything, book a free 30 minute call with me and let's talk about why you are having a problem and how we can solve it.

The Moody Millennials

Away from my coaching and corporate work, I host a podcast with my good friend Matt Kendall called the Moody Millennials. We get nostalgic about the past, talk about previous shame and regret and rant about little things that annoy us. People seem to like it and every week I solve the problems of one listener in our more serious feature 'The Struggle is Real'. Have a listen on iTunes, Spotify or at www.moodymillennials.com.

If you have serious concerns about your mental health, please visit your GP or a medical professional first. There are also numerous charities available, such as Mind and the Samaritans.
Copyright text 2018 by Alex MacLellan/Practical Anxiety Solutions

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